Should Bills' GM Brandon Beane prioritize CB or WR in NFL Draft?

Buffalo enters the NFL Draft with 10 picks, starting with the 30th overall pick

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is less than three weeks away, and Buffalo Bills' general manager Brandon Beane has already made a lot of moves this offseason. That should impact how he navigates the draft as the Bills enter draft weekend with 10 total picks.

A big topic this offseason is should Buffalo put more pieces around Josh Allen at wide receiver. But another is should the Bills add another cornerback to their room alongside Taron Johnson and the freshly paid Christian Benford?

Considering it all, CB should be the priority. While adding another wideout could still be in the mix, adding a potential CB2 could be crucial for Buffalo's pursuit of a Super Bowl.

State of the CB and WR rooms

Buffalo Bills player Joshua Palmer. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Comparing these two rooms, it appears as though the wideouts may be in better shape depth-wise heading into the 2025 season. With the addition of Joshua Palmer next to Khalil Shakir and sophomore Keon Coleman, the Bills look like they have their top-three receivers on the roster for Week 1.

But the CB room? There are far more questions.

Benford is a legit CB1. Johnson is a former All-Pro at nickel. But aside from them, who else can Buffalo rely on?

Dane Jackson? Ja'Marcus Ingram? Cam Lewis? None of the three garnered PFF grades higher than 60.5 last season, so the Bills could still upgrade the room.

2025 NFL Draft CB prospects

Michigan defensive back Will Johnson. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to PFF, there is a deeper class of WRs in the draft versus CBs. In its top 100 prospects, there are nine CBs listed (including two-way star Travis Hunter), in comparison to 13 WRs (also including Hunter).

So although Buffalo could go receiver early in the draft, it could wait a bit, whereas it may be more advantageous to grab a CB if there's a run on them in the first round.

The tough thing, though, is that the Bills are slotted at the No. 30 overall pick in the first round. So if names like Michigan's Will Johnson, Colorado's Travis Hunter, or Texas' Jahdae Barron are beginning to come off the board, Buffalo will have to unload its ammo to move up in the draft with its bevy of picks.

Remaining FA targets

Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31). / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Two 2024 starters — CB Rasul Douglas and WR Amari Cooper — are still on the market. And while they both are a part of respective lists with solid names, the receiver list looks a bit more promising.

Diontae Johnson, Tyler Lockett, Keenan Allen, and more are still out there, as opposed to CBs like Asante Samuel Jr., James Bradberry, Kendall Fuller, and former Bill Stephon Gilmore. So if Buffalo were to add more to either the WR or CB rooms, the receivers seem like better options at this stage of free agency.

Buffalo can (and should) still add to these two skill groups, and with the ensuing draft, CB has to take priority after all the moves made this offseason.

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